Ficlet collection
by thegirl20
Summary: A collection of drabbles, ficlets and fragments based around Cara and Kahlan.
1. What will you do?

"Don't be ridiculous."

Cara's face was the very picture of indignant rage and Kahlan struggled to keep her composure. They were returning to camp after gathering berries in a forest which appeared to contain no game. They'd left Richard and Zedd to get a fire going and set up the campsite.

Recently, Kahlan was finding that she enjoyed the time she spent alone with the Mord'Sith more and more. So much so that she often found excuses for the two of them to go off together, just so that she could see the person that Cara was when they were alone. Kahlan wasn't sure when or how she became the only one that Cara felt at ease enough with to drop her guard a little. But she certainly wasn't going to complain about it if it allowed her to have fun at the other woman's expense as she was currently doing.

She searched her companion's face, her own expression serious, before nodding.

"No, it's true. You're definitely getting laughter lines." She reached up to brush a thumb over the soft skin at the corner of Cara's eye only to have it batted away almost immediately.

Cara narrowed her eyes. "If I am developing lines of any sort, it's because I am constantly deep in thought about how to keep you three out of trouble."

"Ah," Kahlan said, biting back a grin. "So they're _worry_ lines." She knew that this would be just as unacceptable to Cara.

"No they are no-" Cara began, but cut herself short. She poked Kahlan in the side, none too gently. "You're teasing me."

"Ow!" Kahlan protested, rubbing her ribs and bumping Cara's hip with her own as they walked. It wasn't an eternity ago that Cara would not have recognised this as teasing, and the poke would have been with an agiel. "Yes, I'm teasing you. Your face is as perfect and unblemished as it has always been. Though if you keep up that scowling, it won't be for long."

Cara broke out into a huge, and incredibly fake, smile. Kahlan laughed and shook her head.

"You should smile more often," she said. "It suits you."

Cara rolled her eyes. "Perhaps when we find the Stone of Tears and seal this blasted tear in the veil, I'll smile."

"Well, that will make it even more worthwhile," Kahlan told her.

The walked on in companionable silence for a bit, until Kahlan had a thought that made _her_ frown.

"What will you do…after we've sealed the veil?" she asked, turning to view Cara's profile.

"After I've finished smiling, you mean?" Cara asked, with mischievous glance at Kahlan.

"Yes, after all the smiling," Kahlan agreed with a smile of her own.

Cara walked on a little, looking straight ahead. Kahlan wondered if she was going to reply at all.

"I'll do as Richard instructs me," she said, finally. She didn't look at Kahlan as she spoke. "I expect he will send me to D'Hara to establish order there while you and he settle in Aydindril."

Kahlan felt panic grip her chest at the answer, though it was not completely unexpected.

"And what if Richard instructed you to stay in Aydindril. With us?"

A few months ago, she would have been met with a look of complete bafflement at such a question. But Cara looked at the ground, letting her hair fall over her face.

"What would be the purpose of such an instruction?" she asked, quietly. "You will have no need of me there. Aydindril has an army of guards whose sole purpose is to protect the Mother Confessor."

Kahlan did not miss the melancholy in Cara's voice, nor the deep insecurity she'd glimpsed on a number of occasions in the proud, strong woman. She let her arm brush against Cara as they walked, heartened when Cara didn't move away.

"That's true," she agreed. "But I'd sooner trust you with my life than I would all of them put together."

Cara turned to look at her sharply, likely to see if she was teasing again. Kahlan made sure to meet her eyes to show that she was completely serious. She was speaking the truth. She trusted Cara completely and without question. Something she had thought she would _never_ do. This woman had killed her sister. But she'd also tried to put a knife through her own heart to give Kahlan a better chance of survival in an airless tomb.

Cara inclined her head, accepting the compliment. Her lips slid into a half smile as she cocked her head in curiosity. "Are you saying you want to employ me as your personal bodyguard, Mother Confessor?"

Kahlan laughed at the image, but stored it away as a possibility. "I'm _saying_ that I want you in Aydindril with me. Or wherever I end up. And that I plan to make sure that happens, by whatever means necessary."

The frank admission was not something Cara was prepared for and she looked down at the ground again, her hair covering her expression. Kahlan bit her lip, wondering if perhaps she'd gone too far. Though Cara was far more open than she had been when they'd first met, she still didn't respond well to overt discussions of feelings. Kahlan hadn't actually planned to reveal this particular thought. She hadn't been aware of _having_ such a thought. But confronted by the possibility of being separated from Cara, her mind had cleared and she had known that she wouldn't let it happen. Cara surprised her by speaking up.

"You and Richard will be busy getting married and having a brood of little confessors. Can you picture me there in amongst that?"

Kahlan closed her eyes and tried to imagine Cara with a baby on her hip and a couple of toddlers clinging to her legs. She smiled at the image because she could picture Cara's long suffering expression perfectly. What she didn't picture was the first part of what Cara had said. Her feelings for Richard had changed of late. They'd become cloudier, less sure than before. When she looked at him, she no longer felt the rush of love she once had. Her insides didn't somersault as they once had when he touched her. His kisses left her strangely unsatisfied. But that wasn't Cara's problem.

Turning to her companion, she nodded.

"I can imagine it, actually. I think you'd be an adorable aunt. Auntie Cara."

Cara's mouth went slack and her eyes went wide. "You're not serious."

"I'm absolutely serious," Kahlan said. She leaned a little closer and softened her voice. "You forget, fearsome Mistress Cara, that I was with you after the birth of the baby night wisps. I know you have a softer side."

She waited for the inevitable explosion, hoping that an angry tirade would lift the tension that had settled between them after Kahlan had expressed her wish for Cara to remain with them. But it didn't come. Instead, Cara narrowed her eyes again, the beginnings of a smile tugging at her lips.

"So, it's not so much a bodyguard you want as a babysitter, is that right?"

The joke made Kahlan laugh in delight, she linked her arm through Cara's and turned so that her nose brushed against blonde hair as she whispered into Cara's ear.

"Let's just settle for you being there for the moment. We'll find something to keep you occupied later."

Cara's head dipped, looking at the position they were in, before bringing her eyes up to meet Kahlan's. Their faces were close enough that Kahlan could feel Cara's breath on her lips. She tried to ignore the strange sensation in her belly that had begun to happen whenever she was close to Cara. She was not successful at all.

"Yes, I'm sure you'll find something to occupy me, Kahlan," Cara said, her voice low.

Their proximity meant that Kahlan felt the words rumble in Cara's chest as much as she heard them. She closed her eyes and turned away slightly. There was very little time to think about her reaction, because a shout went up from the direction of the campsite, stopping them in their tracks. Kahlan's head whipped around to meet Cara's eyes. They spoke in unison.

"Richard."


	2. Not her Cara

Upon hearing Zedd's story, Kahlan immediately goes into denial. Cara would _not_ betray them. While it had taken a little time for Kahlan to trust Cara when they first met, once her trust had been won, there was no swaying her from it. Cara is her friend and Cara would _not_ do what Zedd has said.

Kahlan remembers watching Cara shoot down Shota's offer of a collaboration because it would've meant leaving herself and Richard at the witch's mercy. She remembers an arrow pointing at her chest, threatening to end the Confessor line for all eternity, then Cara's foot kicking it away, even though Kahlan's hand had been around her throat mere moments previously. She remembers Cara trying valiantly to kill herself to give Kahlan a few more hours of air.

Cara is her friend. Cara would not do this.

Then she sees her. The swagger, the smirk. That's not _her_ Cara. Her Cara is gone. Someone _took_ her Cara away. Her eyes land on Dahlia. That _bitch_.

Kahlan feels her power prickle at her eyes before she even touches the woman. Dahlia has no time to react and Kahlan's fingers wrap around her throat, squeezing harder than strictly necessary for a confession. Her eyes go black and she watches Dahlia's follow suit, her body going slack under Kahlan's hand. Kahlan rarely confesses out of anger, and she tells herself that this is no different. But she cannot deny the satisfaction that surges through her when the Mord'Sith utters the usual plea to be commanded.

Kahlan knows there isn't much time. She sinks to her knees in front of the grovelling Dahlia and grabs her face, forcing her to look into her eyes.

"What have you done to Cara? How do I fix it?" she demands.

"I'm sorry, Mistress," Dahlia sobs. "She cannot be saved, Lord Rahl broke her beyond repair."

"I don't believe that," Kahlan spits. "She's Cara. She's strong…the strongest person I know."

"I know, Mistress," Dahlia agrees. "And it's true, she wouldn't break. He tried and tried, but she wouldn't break. So he enchanted an agiel with dark magic. He used the pain of all of her past victims to power it. No-one could withstand that."

Kahlan is shaking with rage now, barely able to hold off the Con Dar. She can hardly imagine what Cara must have gone through, how she must have suffered.

"You were supposed to be her _friend_," Kahlan whispers. "You…she _trusted_ you. And you let _this_ happen…"

"I'm so sorry, Mistress," Dahlia said, her eyes dropping to the ground. "She called out for you…over and over…she screamed your name above all else. She loves you."

Kahlan can almost _feel_ her heart shatter in her chest. Knowing that Cara called for her; refusing to break; waiting to be rescued. But she hardens herself as she looks into the lovestruck eyes of Cara's betrayer.

"Yes, she loves me. And I love her," she says, evenly. "That is something you will never understand. I'm going to get her back and I'm never going to let her walk away with someone like _you_ again."

"Yes, Mistress," Dahlia chokes out; there isn't much time left.

"Where is Rahl taking the Stone?" Kahlan demands.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. But Cara knows!" Dahlia says, a smile lighting up her face as she thinks she's provided her mistress with the information she wants.

Kahlan feels the knife in her heart twist a little deeper. If they don't find a way to bring Cara back, Kahlan will have to confess her for the information. Dahlia lets out a moan of pain and Kahlan lets her drop to the ground, forgotten.


	3. Look into her eyes

"Mother Confessor, one of the townspeople wishes to speak with you."

Kahlan is weary from the events of the day and from arguing with Richard, but she nods her agreement. She stiffens when her eyes land upon the woman who enters. It's Grace, Cara's sister. Kahlan takes a moment to study her features. She doesn't see Cara in this timid, frightened woman. Grace drops her gaze in deference to Kahlan's position and title.

"You wish to speak with me?" Kahlan asks and Grace looks up to meet her eyes.

"Yes, Mother Confessor," she says, but looks unsure as to how she should continue.

"Then speak," Kahlan tells her. "It's been a long day."

"Of course," Grace says. "I…I'm here because I listened to the same words that you did today. I know that the town council haven't heard anything that will sway their opinion…and maybe it shouldn't be swayed. Cara is a Mord'Sith and she is proud of that. But she's my baby sister and I cannot let her be put to death without knowing that I have done all I can for her."

Kahlan's face remains hard; a mask.

"Your sister killed mine."

Surprise flashes across Grace's face, along with sympathy and shame. Kahlan looks away because she doesn't want this woman's pity.

"You seek vengeance, then?"

Kahlan's head whips back around to pin Grace with her eyes. To her credit, the woman doesn't look away. Kahlan reconsiders her assessment; perhaps there _is_ a bit of Cara in her after all.

"I seek truth and justice," Kahlan says, her voice even. "As all confessors do."

"And tomorrow I stand to lose my sister. Again," Grace says. "I understand that you have a duty as a confessor, but I have a duty also."

Kahlan feels anger burn beneath her skin. But Grace isn't finished.

"My memories of Cara are of a sweet little girl who was ripped away from us." A tear spills from Grace's eye. "I know she's done terrible things and I can't tell you how sorry I am that you've lost your sister. I know how that feels."

Kahlan's teeth clench at the comparison, but she says nothing.

"I don't know what happened to her…she doesn't talk much," Grace said. "But whatever it was, she came _home_. She didn't want to hurt anyone. She just wanted to come _home_."

Kahlan turns away, unwilling to show the tears in her eyes. "It's out of my hands. The council will make the decision, not me."

"You are the highest authority in the Midlands," Grace says, as if Kahlan doesn't know this. "You can overrule any decision."

"Enough!" Kahlan turns to face the woman. "I will carry out the decision of the council. Whatever that may be."

Grace bows her head and Kahlan holds her breath, waiting for her to leave. But she looks back up.

"All I ask is that you look into her eyes," Grace says, her voice quiet, pleading. "I did. And I didn't see a cold-blooded killer. I saw my sister. Please, just look into her eyes."

Kahlan says nothing, but inclines her head slightly. Grace takes this as agreement and with a final nod of acknowledgement, she leaves Kahlan alone with her thoughts.


	4. Can mine be pink?

"You can fix this, tell me you can fix this," Richard said, looking at his grandfather with imploring eyes.

"Yes, yes," Zedd told him, dismissing his concern with a careless wave. "A simple reversal spell will put every thing right. Which I will perform as soon as I can get hold of some Valoroot."

"And where will we get that?" Richard ground out through clenched teeth.

"Any decent sized tow-" Zedd was cut off by a tug on his robe. He looked down to find a little blonde with huge green eyes looking back up at him. He smiled and bent over as far as he could. "What is it, Cara?"

"I'm too hot in these clothes," the little girl told him, tugging at the neck of the leather suit she wore. She looked over to where another little girl stood, head bowed and dark hair covering her face. Cara pointed. "I like her dress."

The dark head came up, a blush tingeing pale cheeks. "You…you like my dress?" Kahlan asked.

Cara nodded, happy that Kahlan was talking to her. "I do. It's really pretty and white."

Kahlan plucked at the tiny confessor's robe she wore and smiled at Cara. "Thank you."

"Do you want me to conjure you a dress, Cara?" Zedd asked, amused by the exchange between the two girls.

"You can do that, Mr Zedd?" Cara asked, her eyes growing even wider. "You're magic?"

Zedd chucked. "Yes, I'm magic," he said. "And it's just 'Zedd'."

Cara grinned up at him. "Can mine be pink?"

Richard laughed but turned it into a cough before Cara could notice. Zedd waved a hand in front of the little girl and chanted a few words and then Cara was wearing a pink dress. She beamed and turned to skip over to Kahlan.

"Do you like it?" she asked, twirling around.

Kahlan nodded. "It's lovely." But her eyes welled up with tears and they spilled down her cheeks. "Can I go home now? I'm worried about my sister."

"I have a sister too!" Cara told her. "I'm sure your sister is okay. Won't your mommy and daddy look after her?"

"My mommy died," Kahlan said, her lip trembling. "And my daddy is…"

She trailed off and looked at the ground. Cara turned to the two men, who were absolutely clueless about handling the situation.

"I think we should take Kahlan home first," she said with a nod. "I can wait a little longer."

Zedd smiled at Richard. "That's our Cara."

"We'll get you both back to where you need to be before you know it," Richard said. "So let's get moving."

Cara skipped back over to the still sniffling Kahlan.

"Do you wanna hold my hand while we walk?" she offered, extending her hand in invitation.

Kahlan drew back.

"No!"

"Oh…okay," Cara said, pulling her hand back and clasping it with her other one, confused and saddened by Kahlan's apparent dislike of her.

Zedd was about to step in and explain when Kahlan stepped a little closer to the blonde.

"I…I'd like to hold your hand, Cara," she began. "But I can't because I do things to people I touch."

Cara's curiosity was piqued, her hurt forgotten. "Like, magic things?" she asked.

Kahlan nodded. "Yes, but it's bad magic. It makes people do bad things."

Cara looked at Kahlan's hands in wonder and the little confessor hurriedly put them behind her back.

"So, when you touch somebody, your magic happens?" Cara asked, still measuring Kahlan up.

"No. I…I have to think about it to make it happen," Kahlan said, explaining it as best she could.

Cara nodded. Then she stepped forward and took Kahlan's hand in her own, pulling it out from behind her back. Kahlan gasped.

"Don't think about your magic and you'll be fine," Cara said with an easy smile.

Kahlan looked at this person who had absolutely no fear of her, and slowly she smiled. She squeezed Cara's hand gently.

"Thank you," she whispered. "This is nice."

Cara shrugged.

"It's what friends do."

And she started walking, tugging on Kahlan's hand until she joined her. Richard turned to Zedd.

"I cannot _wait_ to tell them about this."


	5. It would trouble me

She found her a little distance from camp, sitting on a log. Cara sighed. Kahlan's sleep had been disturbed and when Cara had woken her up, she'd looked at her with tears in her eyes and then announced she needed to go for a walk. Though it did not look like the Mother Confessor was still crying, she was clearly experiencing feelings and would probably insist on talking about them if Cara approached her. With another sigh, Cara walked forward and joined Kahlan on the log. Neither of them spoke, they just looked out into the darkness.

"What if you hadn't taken the deal? You'd have died alone in the forest and we'd have found you with your throat slit."

Cara closed her eyes. She had suspected that the Mother Confessor's trouble sleeping had something to do with her untimely death the other day. But Kahlan really needed to learn to control this type of emotional outpouring.

"I'm Mord'Sith. I've always expected to die an honourable death in battle. It's what I'm made for. I don't need someone to hold my hand as I breathe my last."

She felt Kahlan turn to look at her, but she continued to stare straight ahead.

"Cara, until a few days ago I had thought you…invincible." Cara couldn't deny the little spike of pride that warmed her chest at Kahlan's words. "I had never thought that a common thief could end your life."

The pride deflated somewhat.

"If you wish to bruise my ego, Mother Confessor, you're doing quite well."

"No, Cara, listen to me," Kahlan said, almost begging now. She grasped Cara's forearm and squeezed, shocking Cara enough to turn and look at her. "You're the constant. You're always there. You protect us. You watch over us. You can give us life if we need it…but I never really thought you needed someone to watch over you too."

"I do no-"

But Kahlan did not allow her to interject. Her blue eyes grew wet again as she battled to make Cara see her point.

"Cara, you died. Your throat was slit and you bled to death. You _died_."

"And this…troubles you?" Cara asked, suddenly picturing Kahlan sitting on the ground, weeping over her agiels. The thought pleased her more than it should have.

"Of _course_ it troubles me!" Kahlan whispered, a fierce noise in the dark. "I don't want…" She broke off and looked away, into the forest. After a short time she started speaking again, still staring into the darkness. "Cara, you're not some _thing_to be owned and used and replaced. If we lost you…"

"If I died, you would burn my body and go on with the quest," Cara said, ever practical. "Just as we did with Leo. It's what I would want. There's no use in grieving. It doesn't bring back the dead."

Kahlan turned to look at her, tears freely running down her face.

"What if it had been me who pursued the driver and ended up with my windpipe severed? Something even _you_ couldn't bring me back from. Would that trouble _you_?"

Cara cocked her head to the side, ignoring the chill that ran through her at Kahlan's description. She considered the question.

"Yes," she finally responded. "It would trouble me. A great deal relies on the continued beating of your pure heart."

She expected the frustrated sigh before it came. The Mother Confessor stood abruptly and turned to leave. Cara bit her lip for a second before calling after her.

"Kahlan, wait."

Cara stood too but made no move to approach Kahlan. It was effort enough to think the things that she was thinking, let alone say them aloud. Kahlan turned to look over her shoulder, trying to appear unmoved, but Cara could see the hope shining through. She sighed.

"It would trouble me if you died," she whispered. "Because I would…I would notice that you weren't here. On the quest with us."

Kahlan turned at that, a smile blooming on her face which seemed to lighten something within Cara's chest.

"Because you would miss me," Kahlan translated, her voice soft, not teasing or challenging.

Cara thought about saying that she wouldn't miss Kahlan's constant chatter or her annoying habit of knowing things she shouldn't know. But she realised that would be untrue. So she nodded once and it was enough for Kahlan's smile to become full fledged. Kahlan stepped back towards her and for a horrifying moment, Cara thought she might embrace her, but she didn't.

"I would miss you too," Kahlan whispered. "So please try to understand how it felt to see you wither before my eyes and be unable to do a single thing to stop it."

Feeling powerless was something that Cara understood. The thought of Kahlan, or Richard, or even Zedd, falling apart in front of her and being unable to save them gave her pause. Cara hated feeling powerless.

"I...wouldn't like that."

"I know," Kahlan said, with something like a smirk. "Like I said, you protect us. But you need to let us protect you too, sometimes."

Again, Cara had to fight the urge to deny the need for their protection. But she recognised that Kahlan wanted her to accept it. So she nodded again. Kahlan nodded too.

"Will this allow you to sleep more peacefully?" Cara asked.

"I don't know," Kahlan admitted. "When I close my eyes, I see you dead. It'll get better, but for now...it's too fresh."

For weeks after she'd discovered the truth about her father, Cara had been unable to close her eyes without seeing his face. The difference between that and this was that Cara was still alive when Kahlan opened her eyes.

"I can...stay near you," Cara offered, haltingly. "While you sleep. If that would help."

This time Kahlan's smile was one of surprise, like she couldn't believe Cara had figured out what might make her feel better. She nodded quickly.

"I think it would. Thank you."

Cara had a brief moment of insanity when she nearly thanked the Mother Confessor for caring about her enough to have sleepless nights. Thankfully it passed quickly. She settled for a slight incline of her head.

"I think I can maybe sleep now," Kahlan said.

Cara took the hint and fell into step beside Kahlan as she headed back to the campsite. As Kahlan settled back down on her bedroll, Cara made herself comfortable against a tree not far from Kahlan's head.

"Goodnight Cara," Kahlan's voice already sounded heavy with sleep.

"Goodnight Kahlan."

Cara listened to Kahlan's breathing slow and lengthen. She smiled.


	6. Asunder - Original ending

Cara excused herself to wash up in a nearby stream and Kahlan followed her.

Kahlan ran her fingers down Cara's back to get her attention, although she knew fine well that the Mord'Sith was aware of her presence.

"You okay?" Kahlan asked, gently.

"Fine," came the immediate response.

Kahlan hid a smile at the welcome familiarity of _this_ Cara. _Her_ Cara. She continued to stroke her back and before long, Cara turned to face her.

"I almost don't want to know what she did or said," she said. "But I'm worried about not knowing."

Kahlan smiled and leaned in to press a soft kiss against Cara's cheek. She led her over to a fallen tree and sat them both down, holding one of Cara's hands in her own.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know," Kahlan said, squeezing Cara's fingers. "But rest assured, I didn't see anything in her that I didn't already know was in there." She tapped Cara's head with two of her fingers. "Or in there." She moved her hand to Cara's chest, tapping above her heart.

Thinking back to the discussion of children, she coloured slightly and amended her previous statement.

"Well, very little that I didn't know was in there," she said. "And if you want to know, then I'll tell you."

Cara looked into her eyes for a long time, and Kahlan allowed it. She knew that sometimes Cara just needed to find the right words before she spoke.

"Did it make you think less of me?" Cara asked, her voice tight. "To see me so weak."

Kahlan was shaking her head before Cara had even finished speaking. She slid her hand to the back of Cara's neck, into her hair.

"No," she said, her voice very much that of the Mother Confessor. "I didn't think you weak at all. As I said, the way she acted was different, I grant you, but it came from the same place that drives many of your actions. And it sounds like the one Richard had was much the same. They're both _in_ you, Cara. But they're not _you_."

Kahlan dipped her head, her hair falling to cover her shy smile.

"I missed you."

"You did?" Cara's voice sounded less strained and Kahlan looked up to see the beginnings of a smile. "Even though you had someone who was willing to braid your hair and talk about her feelings?"

"Yes, I did," Kahlan confirmed, poking Cara's nose playfully. "I missed your wit and your sarcasm, as much as I claim it annoys me. I missed your determination and your focus. I missed you pushing me. I missed…" She blushed furiously. "Your rougher side…in the bedchamber."

Cara's smile was now a fully fledged grin.

"I always knew you liked it rough, Confessor," she said, voice holding a tone that had been absent for the last week. One that made Kahlan flare with desire.

"I like it rough," Kahlan said, her face still hot with embarrassment and now with something else. "I also like it gentle. And so do you." She reached inside her corset and drew out a piece of paper. "And I have a poem to prove it. Written in your own fair hand."

Cara's face slowly turned into a mask of abject horror as Kahlan unfolded the paper. Kahlan raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"Do you want to hear how much you enjoy it?" she asked, glancing down at the paper. "About how you like to 'count my freckles with your kisses'?"

Cara made a grab for the offending piece of paper but Kahlan stood and used her superior height and reach to keep Cara at bay, laughing at the outrage on her face.

"Give me that!" Cara ordered,

"No," Kahlan said, quickly refolding the paper and shoving it back into her corset.

Cara stopped struggling against her and raised an eyebrow.

"You seem to be under the impression that I won't go in there after it," she said, walking her fingers up Kahlan's abdomen.

"No," Kahlan said. "I'm under the impression that if I tell you that I want to keep it, you'll respect that."

Cara let out a long suffering sigh but her fingers stilled as they reached Kahlan's cleavage, toying with the ties there rather than diving in.

"Not fair, Kahlan," she grumbled.

Kahlan tipped her chin up so that they were looking into each other's eyes.

"I'll burn it if you want me to," she said with a smile, and she meant it.

Cara rolled her eyes. "No. Keep it," she said. "If you burn it you may decide at some future point that you want me to write another one."

Kahlan laughed and kissed Cara square on the lips, pulling back with a grin.

"Who knows?" she said, her smile mischievous. "Maybe you'll write another one all on your own?"

Cara smirked and tugged on the ties of Kahlan's dress.

"I'd have to be sufficiently inspired," she said.

Kahlan nodded. "I would hope that I'm sufficiently inspiring."

Cara glanced over Kahlan's shoulder in the direction they'd walked.

"How long before they come looking for us, do you think?" she asked, her hand moving from Kahlan's chest to frame her ribcage, pulling her close.

"I think they'll assume we're using this time to get reacquainted," Kahlan said, tracing Cara's lips with her finger. "They'll leave us in peace. And if they don't I'll confess them."

Cara raised an eyebrow. "You really _did_ miss me."

Kahlan nodded. "I really did," she whispered. "I didn't realise how much until I got you back."

Cara leaned in and covered Kahlan's lips with her own. The kiss was soft and slow and loving. It was exactly what they both needed. Kahlan was the one to move to the ground, bringing Cara with her until they were both laid out, Kahlan on top. Cara smiled up at her.

"Get used to being on top this week, did you?" she asked, pressing her hips up into Kahlan with intent.

"Maybe a little," Kahlan admitted. "But I fully expect to be under you by the time we're done here."

Cara nodded her approval. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Kahlan leaned down and started to drop little kisses all over Cara's face, feeling the Mord'Sith squirm beneath her.

"And remember," she said, speaking in between kisses. "We still need to find something to rhyme with bosom."

Before she knew what was happening, Kahlan's back was on the soft earth and Cara was looming above her, eyes narrowed in mock menace.

"Maybe I'll listen to the nonsense you babble in my ear once we get started in earnest," she said. "You use so many words that one of them is bound to fit the bill."

Kahlan laughed in delight. "Oh Cara, I love you so much," she said, pulling Cara's face down for a kiss.

"Mmmhmmm," Cara hummed into the kiss, pulling away enough to look down into Kahlan's eyes. "I love you too."

"I know," Kahlan confirmed. "But if you're going to count my freckles, you better get started because we could be here for a while."

Cara rolled her eyes, but bent her head to Kahlan's neck, dropping a featherlight kiss there.

"One." Another kiss. "Two." And another. "Three…"

Kahlan closed her eyes and threaded her fingers into Cara's hair as her lips moved down to her chest.

"You missed one," she said, biting her lip as Cara's tongue came into play between her breasts.

"I'm counting them in batches of ten," Cara muttered, her lips brushing Kahlan's skin with every word.

Kahlan smiled. "It's a pity we didn't' get to see the Falls of Aldemont."

"Maybe I'll take you there one day," Cara said, lifting her head and propping her elbows on either side of Kahlan's head. "When it's just the two of us. I don't think I'll be able to make a full assessment of the romantic properties of these falls if the Wizard is there, complaining about his stomach."

Kahlan reached up to cup Cara's cheek.

"I'd like that."

The veil may still have been torn, and the Stone of Tears still elusive, but in the Mother Confessor's eyes, all was well with the world.


	7. I do not bless this union

"Sister!"

Dennee is engulfed in a hug that is as familiar as slipping into an old coat, even in the wrong body. She lets Kahlan hold her and she buries her face into her hair, inhaling deeply. She smells of the road and soap and childhood. The joy at seeing her sister is dampened when she catches sight of red leather, hovering in the background. Her face hardens, and her body must do likewise because Kahlan senses something is wrong and pulls away, keeping hold of her hands. She follows Dennee's eyes and her own land on Cara, who is looking at the ground. She bites her lip and turns back.

"We, uh, were on the way to Aydindril and I couldn't pass this close without coming to see you. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you, sister," Dennee says, her eyes still on Cara. She shifts her gaze to Richard. "I heard tell of the Seeker sealing the veil. We are all thankful to you."

Richard gives her a shrug and a smile. "We all played a part. I couldn't have done it on my own."

Dennee can't help but notice that her sister shifts uncomfortably at this.

"Where are my manners?" she says, to break the strange tension. "You must all need a good meal and a bath."

"Well, we wouldn't insult you by turning down your kind offer," the wizard says. "A home cooked meal sounds delightful."

"If someone can bring up water from the river, we have a tub you can use."

"I'll do that." It's the first time the Mord'Sith has spoken and Dennee acknowledges it with a nod. "There are buckets at the side of the house."

"I'll go with you," Richard tells her. "Get it done quicker."

"And I feel like taking the air," the wizard announces, though it must be the last thing he wants to do after months of traipsing around the countryside. "I'll be back."

And she's left alone with Kahlan. They both watch the retreating backs of Richard and the Mord'Sith.

"She's still following you around like a lost puppy, I see?"

"Dennee..." Kahlan's voice sounds weary.

"I apologise, I'm not sure I know the etiquette for dining with one's murderer," she continues, seemingly unable to stop. "Should she sit to my right or my left?"

"I'm sorry," Kahlan says. "We shouldn't have come. We...we'll go."

She wants to scream at her sister's use of 'we'. That she dare talk about herself, the Mother Confessor, in the same breath as that _monster_. She's torn between agreeing that they should go because she's unsure how long she can look at the Mord'Sith's face without grabbing her by the throat and savouring the sound of her death throes, and begging Kahlan to stay and be the one thing in her life that she _knows_ and isn't stolen from a dead woman. But though she should want to see her sister, there's something between them now. Kahlan made a choice when she allowed the Mord'Sith to live. A choice Dennee is not sure she can ever forgive.

"Why did you bring her here? _Here_. To what passes for my home now. Tell me that, sister."

Kahlan sighs and Dennee can't help but think that she is not displaying a great deal of remorse, only disappointment that Dennee still holds a grudge. Kahlan turns to face her with her mouth set in a hard line.

"I didn't bring her anywhere. She accompanied me. I don't tell her where to go and where not to go."

"Of course, I imagine she _wanted_ to come here so that we could become lifelong friends. Don't be ridiculous, Kahlan. She is here because you are here and for no other reason."

"Absolutely. I agree. And what do you think it took for her to come here and face you, knowing how you parted the last time."

"Do you wish me to applaud her audacity?"

"It is _not_ audacity," Kahlan says, her eyes flashing in warning. "It is..."

"What? Kahlan?" Dennee pushes. "Stupidity? Because if I were a Mord'Sith and I knew I was going to visit with a confessor who hated every fibre of my being, I might think twice."

"Are you threatening her?" Kahlan asks, coolly. "Because you'd have to come through me."

Dennee shakes her head in disbelief. "You would stand in my threshold and defend my killer?" she spits.

"I would stand anywhere and defend my lover."

The world stills for a moment. Dennee hears a roaring in her ears as she attempts to comprehend what Kahlan has just said. It can't be true. It _can't_ be.

"Your...no, Kahlan. It's not...no. What about...Richard?"

"This is why I came here," Kahlan whispers. "Why _we_ came here. Because I don't want hide part of my life away from you. Richard and I...that was over long ago. I want you to see how happy she makes me. It hurts me to cause you pain, but I will not keep her in the shadows. I'm not asking you to love her..."

"I hope you're not asking anything of me, because you are unlikely to get it."

Kahlan looks at her, silent. "Do you wish us to leave?"

Dennee bites back the immediate 'yes' that threatens to escape. Instead, she asks a question.

"Do you love her?"

"Yes," Kahlan says, without hesitation. "I do. I love her far beyond what I dreamed love might feel like."

"And you believe she loves you?" Denne continues, ignoring her sister's flowery language.

"I don't just 'believe' it," Kahlan says. "I know she does."

"Kahlan, she is a Mord'Sith," Dennee spits the word out like it tastes bad on her tongue. "She is incapable of love. She does not understand it. Remember, I looked into this woman's face as she drove her agiel into my heart." Kahlan has the good grace to dip her eyes. "I saw no _love_ in her. She is built of pain and hatred."

Kahlan looks like she may be about to answer, when her eyes catch something over Dennee's shoulder.

"Cara!" Kahlan calls, beckoning with her hand.

Dennee fumes as she hears the other woman approach, glaring at her sister for bringing her into their conversation; their_lives_. The Mord'Sith comes and stands next to Kahlan, looking at her with a question on her brow. Kahlan smiles at her and Dennee's teeth clench harder. But then Kahlan's hand is lifting, coming to wrap around the Mord'Sith's neck. The Mord'Sith gives a little nod and Kahlan unleashes her confessor magic, her eyes going black. Dennee watches in a mixture of horror and fascination as the Mord'Sith's green eyes swirl before being overtaken by black. They stand for a moment, the magic flowing through them, until Kahlan is spent.

But the Mord'Sith does not fall to her knees once her eyes have returned to their normal colour. Nor does she beg to be commanded. She's still looking at Kahlan. Kahlan strokes the skin of the Mord'Sith's throat with her thumb and turns to her sister.

"_That's_ how much she loves me," she whispers. "Enough that confession has no effect on her. Because she could not love me more."

The first thing that comes to her is that it's some sort of trickery. The Mord'Sith has ingested a potion or been spelled so that she is immune to confession. And her sister has been taken in by these lies. But when the leather clad woman meets her eyes, Mord'Sith or no, it's clear for all the world to see that she truly loves Kahlan.

She holds Dennee's gaze as Kahlan removes the hand from her neck and slides it down her arm to link their fingers together. They're both looking at her now and she finds it difficult to think, to hate, in the face of such depth of feeling. She draws a breath to try to clear her head.

"It looks like the Seeker is struggling, you better go and help him with the water," she finally manages.

They turn as one to see Richard hobbling up the pathway, carrying two large buckets of water. The Mord'Sith looks to Kahlan, for reassurance, or perhaps to check that she is okay. Kahlan gives a tiny nod and a smile, which is returned. The Mord'Sith offers a further nod in her direction and then she is gone, calling out to the Seeker to wait for her.

Dennee lifts her eyes to meet her sister's.

"I do not bless this union," she says.

"I didn't expect you to," Kahlan admits.

"But...I am glad you have found happiness, sister. Though it has come in a strange form."

Kahlan laughs a little. "Yes, it took me by surprise," she says. "And I fought it...for longer than I should have. I made myself miserable, and Cara too. But when I stopped fighting...Dennee, I knew it was _right_."

Dennee closes her eyes. "I said I was glad you'd found happiness, not that I wished to hear the details of it."

"Of course," Kahlan says.

They stand in silence and watch Richard and Cara carry water from the river.

*

Later, after a meal filled with strained conversation, Dennee stumbles upon them by accident. She's gone outside to get more wood from the fire when she hears their voices. She knows she shouldn't listen, but something in the Mord'Sith's tone compels her to.

"…should go. I can go to Stowcroft and see Grace. You can have some time with your sister without me getting in the way."

"You're not in the way, Cara. I want you here with me. And I want to go to Stowcroft with you when you go. I'd like to meet your sister under…more pleasant circumstances."

"I'm quite sure she's your biggest supporter, Kahlan," the Mord'Sith says, with humour in her voice. "You saved her little sister's life."

Kahlan laughs and when she speaks next, her voice is muffled.

"It's funny to think that you're someone's little sister."

"If this is going to turn into some joke about my height, you can stop talking right now."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll…"

Kahlan yelps and Dennee jumps at the suddenness of it.

"Okay, okay…no height jokes. I hate it that you know where my ticklish spot is."

"So, we're staying?"

"We're staying." Dennee can picture Kahlan's expression perfectly; a determined smile with a nod.

"I'll try to keep out of your sister's way."

Dennee frowns. She does not want to have to think of the Mord'Sith as thoughtful or considerate. Nor does she want to be grateful to her.

They're quiet for too long and Dennee realises that they must be kissing. She hurriedly withdraws, troubled by the fact that she thought that they sounded, as Kahlan had said, 'right'.


	8. itunes drabbles

**Learning to fall ~ Martina McBride**

Mord'Sith break people, it's true. But they are also master builders. Once a girl is broken, she learns to build. She builds walls around herself, walls around her emotions, walls around her heart. If nothing can penetrate the walls, nothing can hurt like the breaking did. The walls are protection. The walls are strength. The walls are Mord'Sith.

Confessors can see through people. But not Mord'Sith. The walls are strong and thick. Confessors cannot see a Mord'Sith.

But Kahlan is not just a confessor and Cara is not just a Mord'Sith. Kahlan shows Cara that she can still feel, can still love, can still live. Kahlan shows Cara that she can let go. Kahlan tears down Cara's defences with such ease that Cara wonders if they were paper thin all along.

And now they stand together on a pile of rubble that once was a wall.

-

**Sweet Carolina Rain ~ Kane**

They've been driving for days; roads and towns and whole states all blurred into one. But when they cross the state line into Carolina and the rain starts to fall, Cara grins and opens the window, letting the sweet smell of the wet earth hit her senses; it smells like home. She leans over and shakes Kahlan awake. She looks over at her in confusion and then out of the window, her grin soon matching Cara's. Cara pulls off the highway and onto a country road. They pull in as soon as it's safe and Cara gets out, tilting her face up into the rain for a moment before walking around and opening Kahlan's door. Kahlan takes her hand and allows herself to be pulled out and pressed against the car. Cara slides her fingers into Kahlan's hair and kisses her as the rain comes down harder.

-

**Into the Groove ~ Madonna**

It has been an objective of Kahlan's since she and Cara first embarked upon their relationship; to get the Mord'Sith to dance with her. Kahlan loves to dance and always has. As a young confessor she had been closed off, afraid to express herself or to get too close to anyone for fear of losing control of her power. Dancing had always been a release for her and she wanted to share that with Cara.

She waits for her opportunity. It comes soon enough. People are always keen to throw parties and feasts for the Seeker and his companions. Kahlan makes sure that Cara's wine goblet is kept full all evening. When people begin to dance, Kahlan doesn't move straight away. Choosing instead to pick her moment. When it arrives, she grasps Cara's hand and drags her to the floor. She turns to face her, hands on Cara's hips and a pleading expression in place. Cara quirks an eyebrow and leans in close, already moving in time with the music, her hands sliding around Kahlan's body.

"If you wanted to dance with me, Kahlan, all you had to do was ask."

-

**My Favorite Mistake ~ Sheryl Crow**

She can see it in their eyes when she tells them; they think she's making a mistake. Richard is gracious and Zedd grandfatherly about the whole thing. But she knows they're both watching and waiting for something to go wrong. And things do go wrong. Cara leaves in the middle of the night, goes missing for hours at a time and comes back with a sheepish smile and a rabbit. She knows that this is new to Cara and she needs time to adjust, to move away from the habits of a lifetime. So she tries not to notice that sometimes Cara smells of someone else when she returns from her outings. She only hopes they will stop one day. If loving Cara is a mistake, then she'll gladly make it.

-

**Love Shine a Light ~ Katrina & the Waves**

Sometimes Cara is childlike in her curiosity about things she doesn't quite understand yet. She once asked Kahlan how a person knows if they are in love. Kahlan had to think about it for a while, but eventually she told Cara that if you're in love with somebody, the world gets a little lighter when you think about them, or see them, or touch them. Cara hadn't been convinced in the slightest.

When Cara was hanging from the ceiling in Darken Rahl's dungeon with an agiel in her side, she thought of Kahlan's smiling face. And the world got a little lighter.

-

**Wild World ~ Maxi Priest**

The time has come for Cara to leave Aydindril for D'Hara. After much persuasion, it comes to pass that only Richard, Zedd and Kahlan see her to the gates. Richard and Kahlan had wanted an honour guard to accompany her and a fanfare and other such nonsense. It was bad enough with just the three of them.

The Wizard is the first to say goodbye. He steps forward and plants his large hands on her shoulders. "Take care, Cara. I hope you'll come back to see us in my lifetime." Cara rolls her eyes. "I'd better visit soon, then?" He shoves her, but it's with a good-natured smile.

Richard takes his place and grasps her forearm in a warrior's farewell. Cara can see he's struggling with tears and she coughs and looks away, embarrassed that a Lord Rahl would show such weakness. Her momentary glance to the side is long enough for him to surprise her by pulling her into a hug. "Goodbye, my friend." His voice is rough and it makes her own throat ache with some foreign pain. She wonders if she's about to come down with a cold. She pats his back, finding that she's holding him tighter than she intended to. He steps back after a while and nods once, before turning and wiping his face. He and Zedd walk away a little distance as Kahlan steps forward.

Cara steels herself before looking up into blue eyes she knows will be wet with tears; Kahlan has been crying intermittently for days now. Cara tries to smile in the vain hope that Kahlan will do likewise. It's to no avail. Tears are dripping from Kahlan's chin and Cara's hand moves of its own accord to wipe them away, leaving her fingers cupped around Kahlan's jaw. "Don't cry," she begs in a whisper. "Don't leave," is Kahlan's response.

-

**Ring of Fire ~ Johnny Cash**

They all saw her fall into the fiery pit. She went down fighting, of course, and she took a baneling with her. Richard and Zedd's shouts were drowned out by Kahlan's wail. They both turned just in time to see her eyes go black, rimmed with red. The banelings fell quickly after that; slain with fervour. When the last one was no more, Kahlan fell to her knees and crawled to the edge of the pit. Richard and Zedd joined her as they stared into the abyss that had claimed their friend; their Cara.

"What are we looking at?"

They turned as one at the voice to see Cara standing behind them. Her leather was a little scuffed, her face slightly sooty, but she was there. Kahlan's tear streaked face was the last thing she saw before she was tackled to the ground in a bone crushing hug.

-

**First time ~ Robin Beck**

The first time Cara had sex, she was too young to even understand what she was doing. She was to please her Mistress, that is all she understood. The first time she had sex because she wanted to, she was in her late teens and she was able to discern the difference between sex as power and sex for pleasure. She'd smiled that night when Dahlia came, trembling under her hands. The first time Cara made love, it was with Kahlan Amnell.

-

**In another's eyes ~ Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood**

When Richard looks at her, she hates herself. His eyes shine with trust and admiration. In his eyes she could never lie. In his eyes she is perfect. In his eyes she is the Mother Confessor.

In another's eyes, she's passionate and human. In another's eyes she won't break if she's touched. In another's eyes she's Kahlan Amnell. In another's eyes, she learns to love herself.

-

**Hello Old Friend ~ Kim Richey**

Kahlan never knows when Cara will show up in Aydindril. She's learned not to hope for or expect anything. A glimpse of shining red leather amongst the crowd alerts her to Cara's visit this time and she halts the business of court. The Mord'Sith saunters over with her usual smirk, but Kahlan sees a tiredness in Cara she's not accustomed to. Cara asks how she is and Kahlan replies with 'fine'. There's no point in going into any detail here, in public. Kahlan enquires about Cara's latest lover; a woman called Dahlia, though Kahlan pretends she can't remember her name. A dismissive wave of Cara's hand lifts a weight from Kahlan's chest and she smiles at her friend. And, just like every other visit, Kahlan wonders whether Cara will just admit what they both know to be true and stay. More likely Cara's just lonely and in need of a warm bed and a familiar face. But Kahlan will take that, if it is all Cara is willing to give. Because she knows Cara will make her laugh and will make her feel like she is more than her title. If only for a little while.


	9. Hunting

Something's not right. That much is clear. Kahlan hasn't been herself since the Wizard's spell went wrong and left her behind. She seems to _feel_ more than usual. Which is an achievement in itself. It is tiring to watch her. Cara needs a break from it. She stands up.

"I'm going hunting. We need meat."

Kahlan stands too.

"I'll come with you."

Cara looks at her in confusion and sees that Richard is doing the same.

"Kahlan...you never go hunting with Cara," he says, slowly.

Kahlan's brow creases slightly, right above her nose.

"But I should. It's not fair that Cara does all the hard work."

"I hunt alone," Cara says, thoroughly unwilling to be left by herself with Kahlan while she is...as she is.

"Not today," Kahlan says, smiling brightly and _linking her arm with Cara's_.

Richard gasps slightly as Cara looks down at their joined arms. Cara hides a smirk, he probably thinks she's going to cut Kahlan's arm off at the shoulder. Six months ago, perhaps. Now she settles for fixing Kahlan with a withering glare. A glare that has been known to make even the toughest Mord'Sith weep and beg for mercy. Kahlan just smiles at her.

"Oh Cara, for someone who claims not to have feelings, you really do have the most expressive face," Kahlan observes, before reaching out and _tweaking Cara's nose_. "I think it's sweet."

Cara's sure that Richard is about to faint. She's feeling slightly woozy herself. Which is the only excuse for the next words out of her mouth.

"Fine, let's go."

And she starts walking, Kahlan still clinging happily to her arm. Kahlan talks as they walk but Cara isn't really listening. She's concentrating on _not_ being affected by Kahlan's touch, or Kahlan's voice, or Kahlan's hair. She definitely does _not_ have any feelings about any of these things. None. Whatsoever.

She's jolted out of her musings when Kahlan comes to an abrupt halt, which means that Cara does too, on account of their linked arms.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Kahlan demands.

Cara tries to think back but cannot even begin to guess what Kahlan is talking about. But she cannot admit this and therefore must come up with some answer that will placate Kahlan. She decides to take a chance.

"I was just giving the question the due consideration it deserves. But my answer is...yes."

Kahlan's eyes light up in a way that terrifies Cara. She doesn't have long to think about it because Kahlan is suddenly in her arms and is kissing her. Quite thoroughly. Cara briefly thinks she should perhaps pull away from the kiss. She is, after all, sworn to serve Lord Rahl. She's almost certain that kissing his true love does not count as servitude. But, as Kahlan's tongue seeks entry to her mouth, all thoughts of Richard are banished and Cara surrenders completely to the sensation of kissing the Mother Confessor.

Just as she thinks she might die from the feeling, and from lack of air, Kahlan pulls away, panting and bright eyed, grinning widely at Cara.

"Oh, Cara, I'm so glad you love me too!" she says, placing her hands on either side of Cara's face.

Cara's eyes go wide and she gasps. _That_ was Kahlan's question? Cara makes a mental note to listen more carefully in future.

"Well...I certainly li-" she starts, but Kahlan is not listening.

"Of course, Richard will be devastated. But I'm sure he'll come round to the idea sooner or later. And I do believe that Zedd already suspects something, because you, my dear, are not at all subtle in the way you look at me."

Cara's mouth falls open but Kahlan is already changing the subject.

"You know...I don't have my powers...meaning that I can't confess you during...well, I mean...if we were to...be intimate," she says, a slight blush colouring her pale cheeks. She looks up at Cara through her lashes. "Would you like to be intimate with me, Cara?"

Cara thinks she feels something inside her head explode. But her vocal chords appear to still be working because she can hear her own voice, far away.

"My answer is...yes."

Kahlan's smile grows even wider and Cara's last conscious thought before Kahlan pounces on her is that they'll need to come up with some sort of excuse for returning with no meat after such a long hunting trip.


End file.
